Take a Seat - Make a Friend - Try this in a School?
A beautiful video from Soul Pancake called "Take a Seat - Make a Friend". We think this would be a brilliant exercise for a Primary or Elementary school to help children get to know each other, make friends, and appreciate diversity. This is great. Take 5 minutes and enjoy this. Read full article
Room to Breathe - Film about Mindfulness in Schools
Room to Breathe is a story of transformation as struggling kids in a San Francisco public middle school are introduced to the practice of mindfulness. Topping the district in disciplinary suspensions, and with overcrowded classrooms creating a nearly impossible learning environment, overwhelmed administrators are left with stark choices. Do they repeat the cycle of forcing tuned-out children to listen, or experiment with a set of age-old inner practices that may provide them with the social, emotional, and attention skills that they need to succeed? Read full article
Using Mindfulness for Teacher Wellbeing
Promising results from pilot studies of teachers using mindfulness in classrooms are exciting educators who say that nurturing teacher mindfulness is a great opportunity to create a caring classroom... results from a study ...of 50 teachers participating in a professional development program facilitated by CARE ... showed that having mindfulness practice in the classroom helped teachers to achieve goals in the classroom, regulate their emotions better, and relate better to students. Read full article
Confidence is Not Everything - Encouraging My Child
My daughter had an audition for a local youth orchestra and, not surprisingly, she was nervous. "You are playing your pieces beautifully," I told her after a particularly trying practice that ended in hot angry tears. No I'm not. I sound terrible." Yes she was looking for reassurance but it was more than that. Read full article
Teacher Resource for Young Children Learning Emotional Intelligence
The Bear Cards ® are designed to be an easy and fun way of building emotional intelligence in children. An effective and entertaining teacher and resource, also for parenting, the eye catching set of 48 cards depicts Bear experiencing a wide range of emotions, and invites conversations about feelings that children sometimes don’t have the language or opportunity to discuss. Could a set of cards with a bear on them really build emotional intelligence, you ask? Read full article
10 Mindful Minutes
From the bestselling author, Academy Award-winning actress and founder of the Hawn Foundation, a practical guide for parents to help children cope with stress, improve concentration and lead happier lives. Goldie Hawn offers parents a practical guide for helping their children to learn better and live more happily. Based on the MindUP programme, supported by the Hawn Foundation, 10 Mindful Minutes outlines short, practical exercises for parents and children - taking less than 10 minutes - to help young children and teenagers. Read full article
Emotional Intelligence and Academic Success with Professor Jon Cohen
A content-rich podcast on the connections between emotional intelligence in children and academic success. Children with stronger social and emotional skills do better academically and socially. Professor Cohen defines "social and emotional learning" and shares the important research on character education and emotional intelligence education. This recording is a "must listen" for every parent and teacher. Read full article
Interview - Professor Jonathan Cohen - Emotional Intelligence and Academic Success - Part 1
Professor Jonathan Cohen is an adjunct professor in psychology and education at the Teachers’ College at Columbia University, and an adjunct professor in education at the School of Professional studies at the City University of New York. Yvette Vignando spoke to Professor Cohen about a subject that she is passionate about: the connection between children's social and emotional skills, sometimes called their emotional intelligence, and their success at school. Read full article
Jain Schools, Bangalore and Hyderabad, India
I've visited three schools run by the JGI Group in India this week; the founder of these schools is Dr R. Chenraj Jain. An integral part of the Jain schools' philosophy is the development of the whole person and an intention to nurture in every student a love for learning, a strong sense of self esteem, personal integrity and a respectful, caring attitude towards others. Read full article
Emotional Intelligence, Parenting and Education; Part 4 of Interview with Dr Karen Hansen
Part 4 of an interview with Dr Karen Hansen from the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Australia about emotional intelligence and attachment and about how parents can think about their children's levels of emotional intelligence. Read full article
